Post Election Sour: Drink up, talk it out, feel better!

I’m not sure how you were all feeling yesterday, but for me it was a very difficult day. I was still processing the results of the election from the night before, it was dreary and rainy outside, and I was operating on very little sleep. Having already shared the classic Tipperary with you, for today I wanted to find a modern cocktail that also had Irish whiskey as its base spirit. I began doing research and I was coming up with some possibilities, but I found myself becoming increasingly distracted by CNN, social media, and my own thoughts. I decided to turn everything off and craft my own cocktail instead. The creative process is usually a surefire way out of the dark for me, and it definitely helped me to feel better, although I’m sorry to say it didn’t last for very long.

I really loved the Red Breast 12 that I used in the Tipperary so I wanted it to be the base spirit in today’s drink too. For a 12-year-old whiskey, it is extremely smooth and had none of the bite that I was expecting. The finish was long and very warming. I could taste some nuts, spices, dried fruits, and something that reminded me a lot of sherry. There were also some citrus notes in there somewhere and that’s why I decided to go with a sour for today’s recipe. It matched my mood too! I wanted a secondary spirit so I reached for Lillet Rouge, which is one of my favorite things on its own and in cocktails. Lillet Rouge is a lightly spiced, fruity red wine that’s been fortified with lemon and orange brandies, and just a bit of a bittering agent. I thought it would work perfectly with the whiskey. I then added orange juice for my citrus, maple syrup and pumpkin butter for some sweetness, and aromatic bitters to round things out and pick up the spiciness of the whiskey and the Lillet. The result was a sour with fall flavors, but I think the addition of the Lillet will also make this cocktail work well with Thanksgiving dinner.

Add all the ingredients except the cherry to the bottom half of a shaker tin without any ice. (If your Lillet has been in the fridge, don’t add it yet). Dry shake (no ice) to get the egg whites foamy, and then add ice to the tin (and the Lillet if it’s not in there yet). Shake again to get the drink cold, and then strain using a Hawthorne strainer into an old-fashioned glass or a goblet over a large cube. Using an eyedropper, draw up some of the maraschino cherry juice and put drops on top of the foam. Garnish with the cherry skewered on a cocktail pick. Enjoy!